The Grammar of Science in Bloomington, MN

A major statement of the language, method, and concepts of the physical sciences, this 1892 volume traces not only the history of experimental investigation, but also the efforts of philosophic minds to state and organize their findings intelligently. "The field of science is unlimited," notes the author; "its material is endless, every group of natural phenomena, every phase of social life, every stage of past or present development is material for science. The unity of all science consists alone in its method, not in its material. The man who classifies facts of any kind whatever, who sees their mutual relations and describes their consequences, is applying the scientific method and is a man of science." Author Karl Pearson, the founder of modern statistics, came to this field from his passionate early studies of philosophy and cultural history as well as ether physics and graphical geometry. The Grammar of Science, his most widely read book and a classic in the philosophy of science, evolved from his lectures as professor of geometry. Pearson, who possessed a remarkable ability to captivate both students and casual listeners, was among the most influential university teachers of his era. With this work, he introduced the concept of a general methodology underlying all science, and thus made one of the great contributions to modern thought.